Biographical entry Allan, Frances Elizabeth (Betty) (1905 - 1952)

Summary

Betty Allan was Senior Biometrical Officer at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from 1930-1940. She is regarded as the effective founder of the CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics. A talented student, Allan studied at the University of Melbourne and carried out post-graduate work in Newnham College, Cambridge.

Skip to

Details

Born and educated in Melbourne, Frances Allan won a scholarship to carry out postgraduate studies in mathematics, applied biology, statistics and agriculture at Cambridge. She then went to Rothamsted Experimental Station to learn practical statistics for the agricultural industry and was co-author on 3 influential scientific papers there. Upon her return to Australia, Allan was immediately employed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Division of Plant Industry) and became their first biometrician. During this time she also lectured to undergraduates at Canberra University College and at other organisations. Because of the rules at the time, Frances Allan had to give up full time work after she married in April. She did however gain Government approval to work until the end of that year. She continued to lecture part-time then, after the birth of her first child, retired from research. Allan became active in many parenting and education groups once retired.

Events

1926

Education - Joint recipient of the Dixon and Wyselaskie scholarship for mathematics

1926

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA) completed at the University of Melbourne

See also

Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne, Department of History, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 2003, 168 pp. Details